


A Guide To Pining

by CalmFangirl



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, I Tried, I say attempt because I fail at humor, M/M, No Plot/Plotless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 01:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6065641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CalmFangirl/pseuds/CalmFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The plan is simple, really. Harry's pined over Louis Tomlinson for over two years in uni now, unsuccessfully trying to catch his attention with maybe too-subtle attempts. It's time for Harry to finally grow some balls and seduce him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Guide To Pining

**Author's Note:**

> Might continue this later, who knows?

 

It's the best plan Harry's had in a long time. 

 

Scratch that, it's the best plan Harry's  _ever_ had.

 

"It's the worst plan you've ever had," Liam sighs - which, okay.

 

"You wait and watch, Li," Harry shot back confidently. "I'm going to seduce him over the counter during summer, and he's going to fall for me and we'll dine on chocolate ice cream - _together_."

 

Liam slaps a hand to his face and rubs it exasperatedly. Niall, sitting beside them with his legs kicked up on their table, just laughs at Harry.

 

The plan is simple, really. Harry's pined over Louis Tomlinson for over two years in uni now, unsuccessfully trying to catch his attention with maybe too-subtle attempts. It's time for Harry to finally grow some balls and seduce him. With the most clever plan he's ever come up with. 

 

First, Harry's going to get a job at the tiny ice cream shop.  _The_ ice cream shop where  _the_ Louis Tomlinson comes every Friday after footie practice with his best friend Zayn Malik, the Greek god who caused Harry a full week of mental breakdown before Niall finally took pity and informed him that Zayn was totally straight and dating a gorgeous blonde _female_ senior.

 

Also,  _the_ ice cream shop where Harry drags Liam and Niall to every Friday evening under the pretense of having some weird obsession with ice cream on only Fridays. And where he subtly sneaks glances at Louis from over his cone.

 

Louis, bless him, is still blissfully unaware of Harry's stalker-ish tendencies for the past two years. Liam and Niall are more perceptive, though. They caught onto Harry's game far too quickly for his liking, Niall cackling at Harry for a full ten minutes when he finally figured it out.

 

"You might want to apply for a job quickly," Niall comments helpfully. "Once summer starts, everybody will be looking for jobs in the ice cream shops. Gets pretty hot here, doesn't it?"

 

"I'll apply today," Harry beams at Liam, who just rolls his eyes and digs into his sundae. Which, rude. But Harry's dealt with Liam for a long while now, so he just ignores him and instead turns to Niall.

 

"Nialler?"

 

The blonde just looks up from his own sundae to throw Harry a critical glance, snorts, and then looks back down. "Nope," he says smartly before popping more maraschino cherries into his mouth.

 

"You didn't even hear what I had to say!" Harry cries.

 

"Whatever it is, it's related to Louis and your pining, which is dumb and idiotic and therefore I will not join."

 

Harry's jaw falls open.

 

Liam snickers.

 

" _Niall_ ," Harry whispered, scandalized. "You little spitfire, you. When did you start becoming like Liam?"

 

"The moment you saw Louis in freshman year and instantly started your own fan club of one, leaving me and Liam to ferry you to classes and tolerate your schemes for getting in his pants and make sure you didn't brain yourself by falling at his feet every time he came within ten meters of you," Niall replied coolly, scooping some of Harry's ice cream into his own.

 

Harry pouted.

 

"You guys suck. I still want one of you to come and apply for a job with me so that I won't be alone."

 

Liam scrunched up his face, "No thanks. I'd rather not watch you giving Louis heart eyes every time he comes in here."

 

Niall suddenly sat up. " _Liam_. We should apply with Harry."

 

Harry's jaw falls open again.

 

Liam drops his spoon.

 

"You want to  _volunteer_ for work?"

 

There was a stunned silence at the table for a while, with only the constant chatter of the other tables around them. And then-

 

"Quick, check his temperature-"

 

"Did he eat anything funny today?-"

 

Niall waved aside their concerns dismissively, turning back to Liam with a familiar glint of mischief in his usually sweet, innocent blue eyes. The kind of glint that meant he and Liam were again going to cook up something to mess with Harry and ruin his life.

 

Harry gulped and tried very hard not to remember the time they basically outed him to his middle school crush. Or the time they made Anne believe that her son was was dating Taylor in high school, eventually leading to a lot of misunderstanding and a very awkward sex talk. Or the time they somehow managed to swap Harry's hair gel for some sort of dye that left his curls bright blue. Or the time they straightened his hair in his sleep.

 

"Don't you see?" Niall grinned devilishly at Liam. "We can  _watch_ Haz here make a stuttering, blushing fool of himself in front of Tomlinson. We can play matchmaker. Or even more fun, we can throw popcorn at him every time the poor sod trips over himself. It's going to be so funny to watch, plus we'll get paid for it."

 

Harry watched in growing horror as his friends plotted ways to ruin his summer, and sent a prayer upwards. The things he did for Louis...

 

"-You do the actual job, I'll bring the popcorn-"

 

"-I want to watch it go down me self-"

 

"-You will, don't worry. We'll take turns-"

 

"-Think we should record it? Me mum loved the video of Haz slipping and skidding on the wet floor, said he was adorable-"

 

"-Maybe. Do you like caramel in your popcorn?-"

 

His friends are cruel.

 

**. . .**

 

"Welcome to _The Waffle Cone_ , how may I help you today?" 

 

The lady at the counter gives Harry a startled look, subtly stepping away. Harry suspects it's the Cheshire Cat grin he's been sporting all day, seeing how this is the fifth customer in the ice cream shop to be slightly alarmed at his overly-happy expression.

 

Niall says he looks unhinged. Harry says he's just enjoying life. Liam just called both of them nuts and disappeared to the back about an hour into their shift, so. 

 

The lady does end up buying a strawberry cone, though, and Harry tips his hat cheerfully at her as she leaves. She just shakes her head and gives him a small, confused smile.

 

Ah, the joys of serving.

 

"Get that look off your face," Liam says fondly and ruffles his hair as he walks past, stacking the cups and spoons and actually doing the job. "You haven't even seen Louis yet. Christ, you haven't even spoken a word to him! What if he turns out to be a prick?"

 

"We sock him in the face?" Niall gave his input, sneakily trying to sample a new flavor of ice cream.

 

"No!" Harry nearly yelled, planting himself firmly in between his two best friends. "One, he is definitely not a prick. Two, you will  _not_ touch his pretty face. Leave me to take care of our relationship."

 

"What relationship?" 

 

"He means the one in which he fantasizes about Tomlinson being his boyfriend. In his  _dreams_."

 

"Shut up, both of you-"

 

"Excuse me?"

 

Oh  _fucking_ shit.

 

Of all times.

 

Today is a bloody Tuesday. It's not even Friday. What the heck is Louis doing in here?

 

"What the hell is he doing in here?" Niall whispers not-so-subtly in Harry's ear. Harry pinches his side discreetly, silently praying that he would not faint. Or trip, or something equally humiliating.

 

"Um..." Louis looks slightly disconcerted. Which, okay, Harry should probably stop Louis and Niall from staring into Louis' soul from behind his shoulders (can they be any more obvious, honestly) and actually go take his crush's order.

 

He plasters a smile on his face, sure that his dimples are showing and all.

 

"Welcome to  _The Waffle Cone_ , how may I help you today?"

 

Louis shoots Harry a brief, small smile before he takes a minute to glance through the display case, and Harry takes his time checking him out from the corner of his eye.

 

From a small distance away, Liam brings out the caramel popcorn. Niall brings a folding chair.

 

Louis' looking infinitely good, that's the problem. Even with slight bags under his eyes and messy hair, looking exhausted from uni, he still manages to look unfairly attractive in the harsh afternoon sun. His hair is soft and messy, his skinny jeans look painted on, and his biceps are bulging slightly from their perch on the counter, where he's propped up his hand.

 

Harry's knees nearly buckle and he catches the counter with a tight grip, knuckles whitening slightly. 

 

Maybe it was a bad idea to look at the biceps.

 

Harry doesn't even realize he's gone out of focus until a hand waves in front of him, Louis looking slightly amused and worried at the same time in front of Harry.

 

"You still in there?"

 

"Um, what? I mean, um-" Harry stutters, then coughs, then blushes deeply. 

 

From the corner of his eye, he can see Niall going red with the effort of keeping in his cackles, shaking silently with mirth in his chair. Liam seems to be choking on thin air.

 

He sends a mental  _fuck you_ to the two twats and hopes they get the telepathic message.

 

"I'll take a double chocolate cone-" Louis rattles off his order, and Harry busies himself with it, praying that he won't trip.

 

He doesn't. He gives Louis the order. The blue-eyed boy in turn gives him a sunny smile.  _Then_ Harry trips.

 

 

 


End file.
